why does a computer freeze all the time

This page provides recommendations on what to do if your computer frequently freezes or completely halts. An easy way to determine if your computer is in this situation is by pressing the on the keyboard and watching the Num Lock to see if it turns off and on. If you can get the light to turn off and on, press Ctrl+Alt+Del and the frozen program. Otherwise, proceed through each of the following sections in order. A computer locking up or freezing is often is caused by related issues. If you are encountering lockups when the computer is opening a particular program, make sure you have all the latest for all running programs. You can find the latest updates for your software through the. If the computer has any malware, virus, or other malicious software it can also cause many problems. Each program or window you open on your computer takes some of the computers to keep it running. If you have too many programs open at one time, your computer may be low on resources, and as a result, is freezing. Try only running one program at a time to make sure your freezing is not being caused by multiple programs running at the same time. A computer lock up can also be caused by outdated or corrupted. For example, if there is an issue that exists with your video adapter drivers, your computer could lock up while playing a game or watching a movie. First, make sure no errors exist in the Windows Device Manager by and verifying that no Other Devices are listed.

You'll also want to check the device list to see if any of them have a yellow exclamation mark or red X next to them. If they do, you'll want to. Next, make sure you have the latest drivers for all major devices in your computer (video, sound, modem, and network). A listing of driver-related pages, as well as driver-related help, can be found on our page. Make sure your operating system has all of the latest updates installed on it. If the computer processor is getting too hot, it can cause the computer to freeze. If you have heard any abnormal noises coming from your computer recently, such as a high squealing, it could be an indication of a failing fan. You can first start by verifying the fan on the is working by examining the back of the computer and seeing if the fan is moving and moving smoothly. For the other in the, you have a few options. You can either and physically inspect them or, if the computer monitors the of the fans, enter and make sure the BIOS does not report any errors. Laptop users may also want to try propping up their laptop on a book or notepad so that air can reach the bottom of the laptop to help verify if the laptop is having heat related issues. Users may also be able to determine how hot their computer is by onboard thermal sensors. If your computer comes equipped with these sensors, make sure your CPU is not running too hot. Some of the steps below require you open your computer. While working inside of a computer, be aware of.

A hardware malfunction or misconfiguration can cause a computer to lock up. If you have recently added any new hardware into the computer, temporarily remove it to make sure it is not the cause of your issue. Before attempting to remove any hardware,. If you have not recently installed any new hardware, the next best solution is to remove certain components one by one. For example, you may remove your modem, network card, sound card, or any other because they are not needed for the computer to operate. Run the computer without these cards to see if they are the cause of your issue. You should also try unplugging any (plugged in) devices one at a time to see if they're causing your issues. If you have tried all the above recommendations and the computer continues to lock up frequently, it's possible that Windows may have been corrupted. Try running through the basic troubleshooting steps for your version of Windows on our page. If these additional steps do not resolve your issue, we suggest you. If your computer turns off abnormally during or after the installation of your, components inside your computer may be malfunctioning. If so, the failing hardware is likely the, or (in that order). If you access the same parts from another computer known to be working, try swapping the parts to isolate the faulty hardware. Otherwise, you need to have the computer serviced. There are a number of reasons why your computer could be freezing on a regular basis.

While the reasons are numbered, there are quite a few common problems that are generally the root cause of many computer mishaps that IБll cover in this article. If your computer is running slowly and would like to find out some easy fixes to the problem, keep on reading. Virus The first possibility, and maybe the most common computer ailment, is a virus. Viruses can do any number of things to a computer, but while theyБre stealing your data or ruining your files, theyБre using up precious system resources that could be used for other important tasks. By running in the background without your knowledge, a virus could sap away all of your processing power or available system memory to cripple your machine into unusability. If you think that you might have a virus, the first thing youБll want to do is obviously download anti-virus software to help hunt it down and remove it. With it removed, your computer will have less tendency to freeze on basic tasks and will generally run smoother. Hardware In terms of actual freezing, or Бblue screeningБ in the case of some computer users, the problem may actually be hardware. Hardware malfunctions БconfuseБ the computer by not allowing it to do the tasks itБs trying to do, and when it runs into a broken or malfunctioning chip within the motherboard, it may not know how to continue. The easiest thing for an operating system to do when this happens is to freeze to prevent any data loss or further damage to the computer.

Disk Defragment Another possibility as to why your computer freezes on a regular basis is because you havenБt defragmented your hard drive in quite some time. Defragmenting your hard drive takes all of your БscrambledБ data and reorganizes it so that itБs easier for the computer to find. Just like a messy desk with papers all over the place, a computer sometimes needs to take time to reorganize the data it has so that everything is easier to find. The defragmentation program is located in different places on each Windows operating system, so check online for where yours is located. Full Diagnostic Because the number of possibilities are endless as to why your computer could be freezing or running extremely slowly, the best thing to do is to take your machine to a computer technician for a full diagnostic. IБve done my best to let you know of some of the most common reasons why a computer may freeze, but without being able to actually investigate in person, itБs impossible to be able to determine the actual cause of the freezing. Operating System Installation If possible, a full operating system reinstallation is often the best way to stop freezing from occurring. If after you reinstall your operating system you still have trouble with freezing, chances are the problem is hardware related and youБll have to talk to a technician to determine what needs to be replaced.